Leather key case



July 22, 1947. L. s. STANLEY I 2,424,290 I LEATHER KEY CASE Filed Aug. 12, 1944 INVENTOR. 5

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 22, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention is a novel leather key case, being an article adapted to be carried in the pocket, formed with a middle or key-panel section and opposite end sections foldable thereover about hinge lines for the closing and fastening of the case, all composed of leather or other limp sheet material with the exception of the key-holding fixture provided upon the central panel. Key cases of such general type are well known, but none of them are wholly satisfactory either in manufacture or in use.

A general object of the present invention is to afford a key case of leather or the like, of improved structure, mode of manufacture and use, and more particularly one which is simple and sturdy of construction, with no vulnerable points or places likel to deteriorate or become unsightly. A further object is to afford such a case which is not only convenient in use and sightly in appearance but is inexpensive to manufacture, with saving of leather and quite substantial saving in labor, both in regard to the assembling of the components and the uniting r stitching them into a unitary article, A particular object is to provide such a key case having not only a central panel to hold any desired key fixture, but also one or two end pockets, provided without complication in the end sections of the case and adapted to accommodate safely such thin articles as tickets, licenses and the like. Further objects and advantages will appear in the reading of the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings is shown a leather key case in accordance with this invention, and made wholly of two pieces or layers of leather, in addition to the key holding fixture, Fig. 1 being a face view of the outer layer or blank, and Fig. 2 a similar view of the inner layer or blank, before assembly.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the completely assembled, stitched and completed key case, in its open position; while Fig. 4 is a corresponding back view thereof.

The case is adapted to close snugly, and Fig, 5 shows it closed and secured by suitable fastener devices.

The outer layer II] and the inner layer H are of coextensive oblong shape. Each of these layers consists of a single piece of leather; and if desired the two could be integrally united along one edge, secured by a fold rather than stitching, in which case the entire article may consist of a single piece, as regards the leather portion of it.

The inner layer H is shown as a single piece having two transverse apertures or slots cut out of the material, a left hand aperture l2 and a right hand aperture l3, spaced from the middle and ends of the case so as to separate the three sections. The two layers H! and H are united or stitched around their entire common periphcry, a stitch line M being shown for this purpose.

Thus a key case is constituted having a lefthand section l 6 which forms a convenient pocket, facin the center and accessible through the aperture l2, and a middle section ll, being a panel section for the key fixture, and a righthand secticn i8 providing a second pocket. When the case is closed the end sections l6 and I8 are overfolded about a left hinge line 19 and right hinge line 23, which occur at the position of the apertures l2 and it, so that the folding is performed naturally, the fold for its main extent consisting of only a single thickness of leather.

The two apertures l2 and I3 however are abridged at both ends, that is, at the two long sides of the case, thus to leave integral marginal strips or bridges 2! between the respective sections; and by this mode of construction the two end portions and the middle portion of the inner layer being maintained as a unitary piece, traversed by the single stitch line I4, applied without complication during manufacture.

A convenient way of fastening the closed case when the end sections are folded in is by means of complementary fastener members, a socket member 22 being shown, exposed at the inner side of the righthand pocket 18, and cooperating with it a stud member 23 exposed at the outer side of the lefthand section I 6 of the case. In this way the two end sections or wings, when overfolded and closed upon each other can be secured in such condition by the described or analogous fastener means, thus enclosing safely the keys and the contents of the pockets.

The particular means or fixture for mounting a number of keys upon the panel section I! is in itself no part of the present invention, since any serviceable fixture will do if sufliciently flat. For illustration a key holding fixture is shown of the type illustrated in the prior patent of Legat No. 2,093,327 of September 14, 1937, which may be referred to for details not herein fully described. Such a key fixture, mounted near the upper edge of the panel section [1, comprises an underneath plate 24, not seen in the drawings hereof except in dotted lines in Fig. 4, attached in place preferably by rivets 25. Along its top edge the base plate 24 carries a rolled over portion or tubular extension 26, formed with as many cross slits as the number of keys to be carried. Depending from the slotted tube 26 is a series of key hangers or metallic loops 21, whose shanks at their upper ends carry enlargements or spherical heads within the tube, the shanks extending loosely through the slots and being thus swingable and rotatable at will as is necessary for the convenient selection and operation of the keys. The tube slots have keyhole enlargements at their lower ends, facilitating assembling or removal of hangers, but these enlargements are closed, and the hangers therefore locked in place, by means of a swingable retainer piece 28 hinged to the lower edge of the base plate 24.

There has thus been described a, leather key case embodying the principles and attaining the objects of the present invention; but since various matters of design, arrangement and detail may be modified without departing from the principles, it is not intended to limit the invention thereto except to the extent set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A three-section, two-piece key case composed of two substantially oblong and coextensive outer and inner superposed layers of leather each peripherally complete and integral and the two peripherially stitched or united together around their entire outline, and the inner layer having two interior transverse cut-away open slots of substantial width reaching slightly short of the side edges thereby to leave integral marginal bridge strips at the inner face between sections but located to divide the layer and case into the three approximately equal sections, said sections 3 being adapted to be overfolded about two transverse hinge lines passing respectively through such transverse slots for closing and opening the case, with each hinging action requiring folding of only the outer layer along the major part of each hinge line, and the middle section being a panel section carrying near its upper edge a keyholding fixture, and each of said end sections providing a pocket closed around three sides where the two layers are peripherally united and opening through the adjacent transverse open slot toward the middle section; the key case having a continuous leather margin around the entire oblong periphery of its inner layer.

LEOPOLD G. STANLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,645,709 Lorber Oct. 18, 1927 1,684,737 LEnfant Sept. 18, 1928 2,312,132 Swanson Feb. 23, 1943 1,128,136 Hano Feb. 9, 1915 Re. 16,946 Rosenthal May 1, 1928 1,807,482 Kurtz May 26, 1931 165,654 Arms July 20, 1875 501,431 Lambert July 11, 1893 972,494 Barnett Oct. 11, 1910 2,354,793 Broughton Aug. 1, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 449,082 Great Britain June 15, 1936 

